Let’s take on the challenge! A multiple-choice history quiz for elementary school students. Review your history lessons.

Sei Shōnagon

Sei Shōnagon was a woman active in the mid-Heian period who served Teishi, the empress consort of Emperor Ichijō. The Pillow Book is said to be the oldest essay collection in Japan, and it records, with her keen sensibility, the beauty of the seasons in nature, scenes of life at court, and things that captivate the heart.

Shinsengumi

The Shinsengumi was an organization that operated mainly in Kyoto at the end of the Edo period to maintain public order. It is known for its trademark flag bearing the character for “sincerity” (makoto) and its light blue haori coats with zigzag patterns. Under leaders such as Commander Kondō Isami and Vice-Commander Hijikata Toshizō, they established strict rules and rigorously cracked down on movements aiming to overthrow the shogunate. Their unwavering loyalty to the shogunate until the very end left a strong impression, and they continue to be depicted in many stories today.

Sakuradamon Incident

This is the incident in which rōnin from the Mito and Satsuma domains lay in wait and attacked Ii Naosuke, who was the shogunate’s Tairō, outside Sakuradamon at Edo Castle. It is said that the incident arose because Ii had aroused strong resentment by opening the country—concluding the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United States without the imperial court’s approval—and by carrying out the Ansei Purge, in which he severely punished those who opposed him. As a result of this incident, the shogunate’s authority was greatly shaken, and the flow of the times toward the Meiji Restoration became decisive.

GHQ

GHQ was the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, an organization established after the war ended in 1945 to occupy and administer Japan. Under the direction of MacArthur, who served as the supreme commander, it implemented a variety of sweeping reforms—such as drafting a new constitution and carrying out land reforms—to transform Japan’s social systems so that the country would become a democratic nation that would never wage war again.

Sword Hunt

While pursuing the unification of the realm, Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued an order to confiscate weapons such as swords and bows from peasants. A major objective of this policy was to prevent peasant uprisings and to promote the separation of soldiers and farmers by having peasants devote themselves to agriculture. It was explained that the confiscated weapons would be repurposed as nails and clamps for constructing the Great Buddha Hall in Kyoto, and people were told that this was to create a more peaceful society from then on.

Italy

Japan, Germany, and Italy made an agreement called the Tripartite Pact in 1940. This was an alliance stating that if any of them were attacked by another country, the three would help each other and fight together. These three countries were called the Axis Powers and fought cooperatively in World War II.

Monkey

The story that Oda Nobunaga called Toyotomi Hideyoshi “monkey” is very famous. It’s also known that in a letter Nobunaga sent to Hideyoshi’s wife, he referred to Hideyoshi as a “bald rat.” It’s said he gave him these nicknames because his appearance and movements resembled those animals, but it may also suggest that to Nobunaga, Hideyoshi was a familiar and dependable retainer.